Abstract

Interactivity has proved a successful way to engage visitors of science museums. However it is not a common
practice when the objects to exhibit are artefacts or, as in the case of this paper, books. A study was set up to
investigate the driving criteria for the “The Life and Work of William Butler Yeats” exhibition at the National
Library of Ireland and compare those with the visitors’ opinion. Books, notebooks and personal belongings of
the poet have been digitized and used to create a rich and varied exhibition that used both interactivity and
multimedia. The result of visitors’ survey showed that the variety was a key factor for the success of the
exhibition: different people engaged with different contents and different medium to different degrees. The
design of the ambience is critical: dim lights and the use of audio as a medium have to be carefully planned to
avoid annoying instead of engaging.